APUSH Final review

Describe the end of the war and list its final consequences

600,000 men died in action or of disease and over 1 million were killed or seriously wounded. The war cost $15 billion, without counting pensions and interest on the national debt. Five days after Union victory, Lincoln was killed in Ford Theatre by John Wilkes Boothe. Ex-Confederates and some Northern Copperheads rejoiced. With the assassination, the unprepared Johnson became president. Some Southerners ultimately, perceived Lincoln's death negatively as they believed he'd have been kinder and less vindictive than Johnson.

Explain the spirit and meaning of the manifest destiny that inspired American expansionism in the 1840/

A concept that stated that the US was destined to expand across the continet and get as much lamd as possible. The jdea of mainfest destiny is that anerifans had a god given right to expand and settle west. This idea gave them the idea that they coukd expand from atlantic to pacific. However thisnjfea would be hindered by the problems of sectionalism and slavery.

Describe the curtailment of civil liberties and the mobilization of military manpower during the war.

Abraham Lincoln declared martial law and authorized such forums to try terrorists during the American Civil War. Historically, military commissions during wartime began as traveling courts when there was a need to impose quick punishments. This is one way civil liberties were violated during the Civil War

Explain how and why the territory of bleeding Kansas became the scene of a dress rehearsal for the Civil War.

Although much of the northerners that came into Kansas were just ordinary westward-moving pioneers, some of them were northern abolitionists or free-soilers. The territory was to be run on the basis of popular sovereignty, as stated in the Compromise of 1850. Southerners that came into the territory, however, were more than ordinarily touchy to the northern abolitionists. They had supported the Kansas-Nebraska scheme of Stephen Douglas with the unspoken understanding that Kansas would become a slave state with Nebraska becoming free. Southerners now felt that the "nebrascals" were now apparently out to "abolitionize" both Kansas and Nebraska. When the day came in 1855 to elect the members for the first territorial legislature, proslavery "border ruffians" poured in from Missouri to vote early and often. The slavery supporters triumphed and set up their own government at Shawnee Mission; free-soilers, unable to stomach the fraudulent conspiracy, established an extralegal regime of their own in Topeka. The confused Kansans thus had their choice between two governments, one based on fraud, the other on illegality. Tension mounted as settlers feuded over conflicting land claims. The breaking point came in 1856 when a gang of proslavery raiders, allegedly provocation, shot up and burned part of the free-soil town of Lawrence.

Compare Lincoln and Davis in terms of political leadership during the war.

As a military leader Lincoln had very little training or experience. He had served a short stint as a volunteer in the Black Hawk Indian wars. He made light of this service himself and well understood his shortcomings as a military expert. When the war actually started he made an effort to educate himself on military strategy by reading manuals and books on the subject but he could hardly qualify as an expert by any stretch of the imagination. Davis, on the other hand, was educated at West Point and had served with distinction in the Mexican War. He was Secretary of War under Franklin Pearce from 1852-1856 and was intimately acquainted with most of the generals that served during the war on both sides of the conflict. He had studied the latest scientific military strategy in some detail during this term and had even helped write some of the manuals that Lincoln read in an effort to educate himself. Politically, Lincoln had served in the State Legislature of Illinois and a term in the House of Representatives. He was one of the leaders of the minority Whig party in Illinois and had only very recently come into any sort of national prominence when he was nominated to head the Republican Presidential ticket. He had failed in his efforts to unseat the incumbent Stephen Douglas in the 1856 race for the senate. It was through this hotly contested election that he had received the national attention that propelled him to the Republican ticket. In a series of debates between Douglas and himself, which were widely publicized in newspapers all over the country, he had made his "house divided" speech whereby he called attention to his belief that the nation would not long remain divided over the slavery question. His statements that the country would either have to become completely slave or completely free were widely construed later during the 1860 presidential election to mean that slavery as in institution in the south would not be safe under his administration. The rhetoric in these debates with Douglas had included charges of intentions for slaves and race relations from both sides that both candidates knew to be false that later came back to haunt both he and Douglas. His one other nationally noted moment had come during his term in the House of Representatives when he had sardonically asked for President Polk to point out the "spot" on United States soil where American troops had been fired upon. Davis, on the other hand, had served a long career that included terms in both houses of Congress and one four-year stint in President Pearce's cabinet as Secretary of War. He had run for Governor of Mississippi and was considered one of the rising young stars of the Democratic Party nationally. It was widely believed that he was on the inner track to become the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in a short time. On the face of their relative experience in both the political arena and military matters it would seem that Lincoln was hopelessly outclassed in both instances. Due to some basic personality differences just the opposite turned out to be true. Davis, while highly intelligent and passionately devoted to his cause, was personally ill suited for leadership. He tended to judge people by their agreement with his own views. People who didn't agree with him he suspected of ulterior motives or a lack of dedication to the cause of the Confederacy. His opinions of people and their abilities once formed were not open to change. He was loyal to a fault to his friends and just as adamant in his opposition to those he saw as his enemies. His course, once set upon, was seldom open to a change, whether it be a military objective or a political one. Lincoln, on the other hand, often considered the only proper action was reaction. He plainly stated that he did not believe he was in control of the circumstances he found himself in; but rather was guided by them. Many within his own political group saw his policy of reaction as a sign of terrible indecisiveness and incompetence. He surrounded himself with people of the highest ability that he could find regardless of their personal agreement with himself or his policies. He somehow managed to successfully run an administration composed of a cabinet who agreed on very little accept their own individual personal superiority over himself. His policies were endlessly fluid and open to adaptability to circumstances that presented themselves throughout the war. From Fort Sumter on through the end of the war Lincoln bested Davis politically at every turn. With inferior generals but superior manpower and material capabilities he managed to militarily best Davis as well. Lincoln preferred to guide military policy from the background and seldom overruled or defined military objectives for his generals. He had a long-term general policy that he thought was the key to success, which involved attacking on all fronts simultaneously to best use the North's material superiority, which he pushed from the start; but that is as far as he would go. Davis, on the other hand, often personally set military objectives for his generals. Some of his promotions and removal of individual leaders had direct and dire consequences for the Confederate cause. His inability to deal with individual state leaders also led to supply and reinforcement problems which hurt the south. Some of these problems can be ascribed to the fear of a strong central government in the Confederacy but much of it can also be attributed to Davis' own intractable personality. Overall, I think the evidence plainly supports the statement that Lincoln was Davis' superior as both a military and a political leader. In spite of the fact that if one were to look at their respective backgrounds prior to the war they would have to conclude the opposite was the likeliest possibility.

Describe the diplomatic struggle for the support of the European powers

Both Britain and France were already indirectly supporting the Confederate cause by freely supplying arms, materials and even ship building.... as they both were also selling same to the Union to the first and highest bidders. Many of the European countries found this to be a profitable enterprise making money off our regional conflict. The overhead issue was more so of official political recognition of the Confederate States as an independent sovereign nation, which it claimed to be. The US Federal government lobbied aggressively against this because they referred to the Confederacy as an internal rebellion or insurrection of states within the Union and refused to recognize the Confederate government as an independent entity of any sorts. Europe, then, would be supporting an insurrection inside of another country or that of another sovereign nation. Several European countries including these two pondered that question. Most were just sitting idle awaiting the outcome or some assurance that the Confederacy would become a nation. One of the primary reasons for the Confederate offensive actions in 1862 and 1863 that if successful would show they could. The Federal government also placed a great deal of political pressure on these European governments not to do so.. The Trent Affair was about as close as it could get to gain Britain's attention when the US seized and held a British flagged ship in its blockade of the southern ports. Britain didn't like that too much and even went as far as sending Canadian and British troops to the Northern US border... The US now possibly causing a war with Britain and being invaded via Canada, released the British vessel. Otherwise most of Europe decided not to formally decline to assist the Confederacy, they just sat quietly idle to wait it out; in no hurry to give consent to a formal political recognition of the Confederacy.

Explain how the South's firing on Fort Sumter galvanized the North and how Lincoln's call for troops prompted four more states to join the Confederacy.

By the time Abraham Lincoln took office in March of 1861, seven southern states had already seceded. In his inaugural address he said there would be "no conflict unless the South provoked it." He declared that secession was "wholly impractical" because the two sides were geographically linked. Despite Lincoln's calls for moderation, southern states began seizing federal government property within their borders, like forts and mints (places where specie/hard currency was made). Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, South Carolina is where the trouble began. Federal troops operated the fort and were surrounded by hostile southern forces that were demanding their surrender. With the men inside Fort Sumter running dangerously low on food and vital supplies, the union would need to re-supply Fort Sumter or they would be forced to surrender. In a brilliant decision under heavy pressure from his advisers, Lincoln notified the South that a union ship would be sent to Fort Sumter to resupply them only, no soldiers or weapons would be sent in. Lincoln knew that if a war began it was vital that the North possess the moral high ground from the start. The South indeed gave Lincoln what he needed, their president Jefferson Davis ordered the fort to be fired upon as the reinforcement ships drew near. After 34 straight hours of bombardment, the men inside Fort Sumter surrendered the garrison. Though the loss of Fort Sumter was a defeat for the North, it electrified a significant number of Northerners to volunteer to fight. They rallied behind Lincoln's call for all states to send troops to recapture the forts and preserve the Union. The abrupt increase in northern militia aroused the South to unite, and the Civil War had begun.

Describe the movement toward secession, the formation of the Confederacy, and the failure of the last compromise effort

Democrats divide; N and S cannot agree on candidate. Northern Democrats choose Douglas (IL). Southern Dems choose John Breckinridge (KY). Constitutional Union party (former Whigs and Know-Nothings) choose John Bell (TN). Republicans choose Lincoln (IL). platform: no slavery in territories; protective tariff; rights for immigrants; Pacific railroad; internal improvements at federal expense; free homesteads. Southerners deeply opposed to Lincoln (who up until then had advocated compensation for slave owners). Lincoln won, and extremist Southerners vowed to secede from the Union

Explain how the Whig party disintegrated and disappeared because of its divisions over slavery

Due to what the National Republicans viewed as Jackson's "tyrannical" actions, they changed their name to the Whigs, which was the party of the people in Great Britain., Whig party was made for internal improvement and did not agree with the Republicans (Democrats).

Explain why the slaveholding Border States were so critical to both sides and how Lincoln maneuvered to keep them in the Union.

Economy was the greatest southern weakness. Economy was the Greatest Southern Weakness Economy was the North's greatest strength. The North was not only a huge farm but a sprawling factory as well. North Also controlled the sea. Its sea power enabled the North to exchange huge quantities of grain for munitions and supplies from Europe. Whether immigrants or native, ordinary Northern boys were much less prepared than their southern counterparts from military life. Northern strengths were brought to bear, they outweighed those of the South. The North was much less fortunate in its higher commanders. Lincoln was forced to use a costly tiral-and-error method to sort out effective leaders from the any incompetent political officers. Davis VS Lincoln President Davis had in view a well-knit central government, but determined states' rights supporters fought him bitterly to the end. Unlike Lincoln, Davis was somewhat imperious and inclined to defy rather than lead public opinion. Davis overworked himself with the details of both civil government and military operations.

Describe the political corruption of the Grant administration and the mostly unsuccessful efforts to reform politics in the Gilded Age

During the Gilded Age, corruption scandals were very common, especially in the Grant administration. Due to the idea that a general will always make a good president, Ulysses S. Grant was elected. In politics Grant would serve to be a failure. His administration was plagued with graft and abuse. Even his election is questionable, seeing that Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia votes were not counted at all! The Credit Mobilier scandal was the largest of its time, implicating Vice President Schuyler Colfax. Union Pacific Railroad officials formed the Credit Mobilier construction company and hired themselves at inflated prices to build the new railroad. By doing so they collected astronomical dividends, as high as 348%. Fearing congress would halt this scandal, they paid off key congressmen with stock in their company. In return for shielding the scandal, a censure was distributed to Vice President Colfax and two other congressmen. Other scandals, such as the Whiskey Ring which robbed the Treasury of millions in excise-tax revenues. President Grant had declared "let no guilty man escape." Grant didn't know his private secretary was even found guilty of being involved in the crime. In turn, Grant went against his words and wrote a private letter to the jury to help pardon his secretary. Even Secretary of War William Belknap was forced to resign after taking bribes from suppliers to the Indian reservations. Not only was the Grant administration corrupt, but it also faced difficulty in stabilizing the nation. President Grant was not able to fill the presidential responsibilities. His hardships only worsened in 1873 when economic panic broke throughout the US. Lack of money circulation led to loans going unpaid and profits failing to materialize. Grant failed to utilize his powers to reform the country during the age of Reconstruction. In 1870, the Force Acts were passed, preventing the use of violence to prevent people from voting based on their race. The acts did not assist blacks, white voters used other methods such as holding literacy tests in order to stop blacks from voting. Similarly, most policies enacted during the Gilded Age only set back Reconstruction.

Show how the farm crisis of the depression of the 1890s stirred growing social protests and class conflict, and fueled the rise of the radical Populist Party.

Grover Cleveland is the only president to be reelected after defeat. His second presidency began with a boom. The first recession of the industrial age began titled the Depression of 1893. It was the most punishing economic failure in the 19th century. Over 8,000 businesses filed bankruptcy in only 6 months. Now, Cleveland had a money deficit, rather than a surplus he had had his first presidency! The gold supply was reaching an increasing low. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1890 required the government to buy silver and print paper money to pay for it. People would then turn in the paper money in exchange for gold. At one point, their was less than $100 million in gold supply. Eventually the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was repealed, by much argument by the foremost spokesman for "cheap money", William Jennings Bryan. The decision to repeal the act deeply angered the Populist party who supported it for its ease in paying off their debts. Cleveland turned to J.P. Morgan for assistance. In return J.P. Morgan agreed to lend the U.S. $65 million in gold. The bankers would profit $7 million. The deal only hurt Cleveland's reputation as his actions were viewed as "sneaky" by others.

Explain the rise of political conflict in the early 1890s, and the failure of Cleveland to address growing farm and labor discontent

Grover Cleveland was the first Democratic President since President Buchanan. He strongly believed in the concept of laissez-faire, the idea that the government should not get involved within the economy or businesses. Cleveland was able to please the South by placing two former Confederates on his cabinet. He was known through his term for vetoing bills passed by Congress. Under his administration, Cleveland had a budget surplus, thus arose the name "Million Dollar Congress." Cleveland decided to lower taxes in order to get rid of the surplus via the McKinley Tariff. However the Tariff angered farmers because the act forced them to buy manufactured foods from high-price protected American factories and also made them sell their own agricultural products to an unprotected and high-priced market. Disturbed farmers form the Populist Party, or the People's Party. The Populists demanded inflation through "cheap money." They believed inflation would make it easier to pay off their debts which was their main goal. They also called for graduated income tax, government ownership of the railroads, telegraph, and telephones. As well as the direct election of U.S. senators and a one term limit on the presidency. Cleveland was unable to cope with the economic crisis in which the nation was struggling.

Enumerate the sequence of major crises, beginning with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, that led up to secession, and explain the significance of each event.

In the 1860's, Americans reached a point where compromise between the North and South was no longer possible, because there was little incentive or need for compromise, each compromise made failed to secure the desires of the other side, and the rest of the world was starting to abolish slavery.

In the early nineteenth century, Americans sought to resolve their political disputes through compromise yet by 1860 this no longer seemed possible. Analyze the reasons for this change.

In the 1860's, Americans reached a point where compromise between the north and the south was no longer possible, because there was little incentive or need for compromise, each compromise made failed to secure the desires of the other side, and the rest of the world was starting to abolish slavery

Explain how the Dred Scott decision and John Brown's Harpers Ferry raid deepened sectional antagonism

In the Dred Scott decision, in which Taney stated that he would have no slave become a citizen in the US under his justification. This statement infuriated millions of abolitionists against slavery; it even aroused those that really hadn't cared about the issue before the case. Northern abolitionists were angered, which they were fully within their right to be, but their anger inflamed the South. Tension built up even more because of this incident. John Brown, though insane, tried to invade the South and in effect, take over the South. His plan for Harper's Ferry in Virginia was to seize its arms and call upon all the slaves to revolt. Unfortunately for him, none of the slaves revolted with him, and he was captured hastily, and sentenced to death. Brown was hung, and he instantly became a martyr for abolitionists, with northerners rallying around his memory; abolitionists were infuriated by his execution. Many southerners soon asked how they could possibly remain in the Union while a "murderous gang of abolitionists" were trying to take over the South and expel the southern ways.

Explain how the mistakes of President Johnson and the white southerners led to more radical polices

Johnson's presidential Reconstruction Andrew Johnson's presidency would be known primarily for the non enforcement and defiance of Reconstruction laws passed by the U.S. Congress and would be in constant conflict constitutionally with the Radicals in Congress over the status of freedmen and whites in the defeated South. Although resigned to the abolition of slavery, many former Confederates were not willing to accept the social changes nor political domination by former slaves. The defeated were unwilling to acknowledge that their society had changed.

Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those opposed to the spread of slavery in the context of TWO of the following. Missouri Compromise, Mexican War, Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska-Act.

Missouri Compromise 36°30' Any states above this line would be free, any states below this line would have the power to vote (popular sovereignty) to make the state a slave state Missouri entered the Union as a slave state; Maine entered the Union as a free state — kept Senate split evenly This allowed for the growth of slavery but also addressed the overwhelming issue of abolition Compromise of 1850 CA - free state, NM / UT - undecided, DC - no slave trade Fugitive Slave Law; if free blacks were taken by whites then they could be declared slaves - (Court official would be given $5 if he or she deemed a black person to be free, and would be given $10 if he or she deemed a black person to be a slave) Personal Liberty Laws; Prevents Northern officials from assisting slave owners in reclaiming their escaped slaves (a form of nullification) Sectionalism increased - Northern dislike of Fugitive Slave Law, Southern dislike of Personal Liberty Laws

trace the rise of Lincoln as the leading exponent of the Republican doctrine of no expansion of slavery.

Mostly through the debates with Douglas, Lincoln was able to gain the moral high ground and even though Douglas ended up on the senate, the Democrats split so Lincoln won by only about 40%.

Indicate the strengths and weaknesses of both sides as they went to war.

North - Strengths: • Economy: The North's population was larger than the South's as they had more immigrants and employment opportunities due to their industrial economy. Thus, their economy was its greatest strength as the Yankees had about three-fourths of the nation's wealth. Immigrants from Europe continued to pour in even during the war and most of them enlisted in the Union forces. • Transportation: They had three fourths of thirty thousand miles of railroads. Their powerful navy enabled them to exchange huge quantities of grain, munitions, and supplies with Europe. They also established a blockade, which soon choked off Southern supplies and shattered Southern morale. The North had a manpower population of 22 million to the South's 9 million. Weaknesses: • To win they had to invade the vast territory of the Confederacy and drag it back to the Union. The ordinary men of the North were much less prepared than their Southern counterparts for military life and less confident in their higher commanders. South - Strengths: • Geography: The South could fight defensively behind interior lines. They would win their independence if they merely fought the North to a draw and stood firm. • Military: They had the most talented officers the nation had to offer. They had top cadets from West Point, such as the South's most important general Robert E. Lee who was superior in military strategy compared to all others around him. The ordinary males of the South were bred to fight and accustomed to managing horses and bearing arms from boyhood, resulting in excellent cavalrymen and foot soldiers. Weaknesses: • Economy/Transportation: Their economy was its greatest weakness. Handicapped by the scarcity of factories, there were shortages of shoes, uniforms, and blankets. The soldiers were hungry because of these supply problems and their lack of a decent transportation system. After the North blocked them from trading with Europe, they hardly had any way to get supplies needed to keep the war going.

Explain how president polks goals for his administration especially the acquisition of California, led to the Texas boundary crisis with Mexico

Polks goal of expansion of the United States ultimately led to war with Mexico because the two nations were claiming land in the same areas. This would naturally make the town countries rivals, and when Polk claimed California, which was right on the border of Mexican territory. This poised the two nations for war.

Describe the role that African Americans played during the war

Southern slaves felt they were fighting for their freedom in the Civil War. The victory at Antietam let Lincoln feel comfortable issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Southern slaves understood that they were now "forever free", so they has a cause to fight for. The Confederates didn't enlist slaves to fight until the last month of the war. However, slaves in border states were not granted freedom, because Lincoln does not want to split the Union.

Describe the consequences of the Mexican war, and especially how the Mexican territorial acquisitions explosively opened the slavery question

The Mexican American War resulted in America gaining almost half of all of Mexico's territory. It opened up the slavery debate up again because the majority of the states that were claimed in the winnings of the war were in the designated slavery area and if all of this territory was to be made into states, the balance of free to slave states would be thrown off and the slave states would far out number the free states.

Indicate how the issues of Oregon and Texas became central in the election of 1844 and why Polk's victory was seen as a mandate for Manifest Destiny.

The Oregon and Texas issues became central in the election of 1844 because adding new states to the union could throw off the balance of slave to free states and would cause turmoil in congress. Polks victory was good for manifest destiny because he was able to balance the states and end territory disputes with England

Describe the actual effects of congressional Reconstruction in the South.

The Radical Republican Congress sought to safeguard the rights and liberties of African-Americans, and for a time, it succeeded at least in part. Black men held public office at the local, state, and federal levels. Black communities established their own churches, schools, and associations. The South as a whole received some of its first public hospitals and public schools. Reconstruction did not last longer than a decade in most places, but it was a critically important time that would be remembered for generations by blacks and whites alike (though usually in very different ways).

Explain why the legacy of Reconstruction and assess its successes and failures

The Reconstruction implemented by Congress, which lasted from 1866 to 1877, was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War, providing the means for readmitting them into the Union, and defining the means by which whites and blacks could live together in a nonslave society. The South, however, saw Reconstruction as a humiliating, even vengeful imposition and did not welcome it. During the years after the war, black and white teachers from the North and South, missionary organizations, churches and schools worked tirelessly to give the emancipated population the opportunity to learn. Former slaves of every age took advantage of the opportunity to become literate. Grandfathers and their grandchildren sat together in classrooms seeking to obtain the tools of freedom. After the Civil War, with the protection of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, African Americans enjoyed a period when they were allowed to vote, actively participate in the political process, acquire the land of former owners, seek their own employment, and use public accommodations. Opponents of this progress, however, soon rallied against the former slaves' freedom and began to find means for eroding the gains for which many had shed their blood. The constitutional amendments and legislative reforms that laid the foundation for the most radical phase of Reconstruction were enacted from 1865 until 1870. By the 1870s Reconstruction had made some progress to provide the former slaves with equal rights under the law, including the right to vote, and with education to achieve literacy. During Reconstruction, most states in the South established public education, although funding was variable. However, much of the initial progress towards equal rights was rolled back between 1873 and 1877, when conservative whites (calling themselves "Redeemers") took power throughout the former Confederacy. In 1877 President Rutherford Hayes withdrew federal troops, causing the collapse of the remaining three Republican state governments. Through the enactment of Jim Crow laws and through extralegal means, the Redeemers subsequently enforced a system of racial segregation which stayed in place throughout the South into the 1960s. During the Civil War, Republican leaders agreed that slavery and the Slave Power had to be permanently destroyed, and that all forms of Confederate nationalism had to be suppressed. Moderates said this could be easily accomplished as soon as Confederate armies surrendered and the Southern states repealed secession and ratified the 13th Amendment—all of which happened by September 1865. President Abraham Lincoln was the leader of the moderate Republicans and wanted to speed up Reconstruction and reunite the nation as painlessly and as quickly as possible. Lincoln formally began Reconstruction in late 1863 with his Ten percent plan, which went into operation in several states but which Radicals opposed. Lincoln pocket vetoed the Radical plan, the Wade-Davis Bill of 1864, which was much more strict than the Ten-Percent Plan. The opposing faction of Radical Republicans were skeptical of Southern intentions and demanded more stringent federal action. Congressman Thaddeus Stevens and Senator Charles Sumner led the Radical Republicans. Radical Republican Charles Sumner argued that secession had destroyed statehood alone but the Constitution still extended its authority and its protection over individuals, as in the territories. Thaddeus Stevens and his followers viewed secession as having left the states in a status like newly conquered territory. The election of 1866 decisively changed the balance of power, giving the Radicals control of Congress and enough votes to overcome Johnson's vetoes and even to impeach him. Johnson was acquitted by one vote, but he remained almost powerless regarding Reconstruction policy. Radicals used the Army to take over the South and give the vote to black men, and they took the vote away from an estimated 10,000 or 15,000 white men who had been Confederate officials or senior officers. The Radical stage lasted for varying lengths in the different states, where a Republican coalition of freedmen, scalawags, and carpetbaggers took control and promoted modernization through railroads and public schools. They were charged with corruption by their opponents, the conservative-Democratic coalition, who called themselves "Redeemers" after 1870. Violence sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan was occasionally overcome by federal intervention. The Republicans believed that the best way for men to get political experience was to be able to vote and to participate in the political system. They passed laws allowing all male freedmen to vote. In 1867, black men voted for the first time. Over the course of Reconstruction, more than 1,500 African Americans held public office in the South. They did not hold office in numbers representative of their proportion in the population, but often elected whites to represent them. (The question of women's suffrage was also debated but was rejected.) The South's white leaders, who regained power in the immediate postwar era before the vote was granted to the freedmen, renounced secession and slavery, but not white supremacy. People who had previously held power were angered in 1867 when their state governments were ousted by federal military forces and replaced by Republican lawmakers elected by blacks, scalawags and carpetbaggers, but there were leaders in the South who tried to accommodate new conditions. Every Southern state subsidized railroads, which modernizers felt could haul the South out of isolation and poverty. Millions of dollars in bonds and subsidies were fraudulently pocketed. One ring in North Carolina spent $200,000 in bribing the legislature and obtained millions in state money for its railroads. Instead of building new track, however, it used the funds to speculate in bonds, reward friends with extravagant fees, and enjoy lavish trips to Europe.[31] Taxes were quadrupled across the South to pay off the railroad bonds and the school costs. There were complaints among taxpayers, because taxes had historically been very low, since there was so little commitment to public works or public education. Taxes historically had been much lower than in the North, reflecting a lack of public investment in the communities.[32] Nevertheless thousands of miles of lines were built as the Southern system expanded from 11,000 miles (17,700 km) in 1870 to 29,000 miles (46,700 km) in 1890. The lines were owned and directed overwhelmingly by Northerners. Railroads helped create a mechanically skilled group of craftsmen and indeed broke the isolation of much of the region. Passengers were few, however, and apart from hauling the cotton crop when it was harvested, there was little freight traffic. As Franklin explains, "numerous railroads fed at the public trough by bribing legislators...and through the use and misuse of state funds." The effect, according to one businessman, "was to drive capital from the State, paralyze industry, and demoralize labor." Reconstruction changed the tax structure of the South. In the U.S. from the earliest days until today, a major source of state revenue was the property tax. In the South, wealthy landowners were allowed to assess the value of their own land. These assessments were almost valueless and the pre-war tax rate was almost nothing. Pre-war southern states did not educate their citizens or build and maintain any infrastructure. State revenues came from fees and from sales taxes on slave auctions. Some states assessed property owners by a combination of land value and a capitation tax, a tax on each worker employed. This tax was often assessed in a way to discourage a free labor market, where a slave was assessed at 75 cents, while a free white was assessed at a dollar or more, and a free African American at $3 or more. Some revenue also came from poll taxes. These taxes were more than poor people could pay, with the designed and inevitable consequence that they did not vote. During Reconstruction, new spending on schools and infrastructure, combined with fraudulent spending and a collapse in state credit because of huge deficits, forced the states to dramatically increase property tax rates. In places, the rate went up to ten times higher—despite the poverty of the region. The infrastructure of much of the South--roads, bridges, and railroads--scarce and deficient as it was--had been destroyed during the war. In part, the new tax system was designed to force owners of large estates with huge tracts of uncultivated land either to sell or to have it confiscated for failure to pay taxes. The taxes would serve as a market-based system for redistributing the land to the landless freedmen and white poor. By 1872, President Grant had alienated large numbers of leading Republicans, including many Radicals by the wanton corruption of his administration and his use of federal soldiers to prop up Radical state regimes in the south

Describe the economic crisis of the 1870's and explain the growing conflict between "hard-money" and "soft-money" advocates

The economic crisis of the 1870s is the Panic of 1873 which brought economic troubles. The Panic was initiated by the over-spending of borrowed money by large corporations as railroads and factories. The economy had been over-expanding to a point in which the market could no longer sustain the growth. In turn, bankers had too many loans and when they were not being paid the economy began to crumble. The Panic led to the bankruptcy of more than 15,000 businesses. The unemployed swamped the streets holding rallies and riots. The hardest hit community were the blacks. With the Freedman's Savings and Trust Co. bankrupt, black Americans lost more than $7 million in savings. Debtors wanted paper money, or greenbacks, to be printed in order to create inflation that way it would be easier for them to pay their debts. The strategy was called soft money, or cheap money. The wealthy bankers opposed their strategy and favored that of hard money. Hard money would keep the amount of money stable and backed by gold rather than just distributing paper money willy-nilly without any substance or backing. President Grant announced the Resumption Act, which favored the hard money strategy, it lowered the amount of greenbacks in circulation. As retaliation, debtors demanded that the government issue more silver coins. More silver coins would mean more inflation and would make it easier to pay off debt. The nation entered a period of contraction, decreasing the amount of money in circulation and raising the value of the dollar bill.

analyze the complex election of 1860 in relation to the sectional crisis.

The election caused the democrats to split their vote between Douglas and Breckenridge so Lincoln was able to win even without over 50%.

trace the growing power of the Republican party in the 1850s and the increasing divisions and helplessness of the Democrats.

The free-soil party began to turn in the Republican party, and became a sectional party when most of the confused Northern whigs decided to join. The democrats split up because one side supported Douglas (Northern) and the other supported Breckenridge.

Describe the responses of both whites and African Americans to the end of slavery.

The freed slaves would be very pleased to see the end of slavery and to be free men/women. However a lot of them did not know what to do, where to go etc all they had known all their lives was slavery. They might have been free, but for some of them they had no homes, no job and worse no money! The Northern Whites would have been pleased to hear about the freedom of the slaves. For the Southern Whites it meant an end to cheap labor and many lost their homes and land because they could not afford to pay people to do the work.

Analyze the economic and social consequences of the war for both sides.

The south's actions of leaving the union had extreme consequences when they returned. Before they left the union it seemed like the south had it all because of one aspect the cotton industry. Cotton was a major cash crop and it made up all most all of their exports. When the south seceded and then were readmitted they had to adopt many amendments which caused the emancipation of the slaves. With Slaves no longer being legal, the south had no one to get the job done. They could have tried to do it there selves but several ex slaveholders held more than 50 slaves meaning there plantations were large and unmanageable without slaves. The agriculture of the south slowly started dying out. With little exports the south couldn't get money for imported goods and the economy began to decline and the south started to suffer. However in the North Agriculture was not affected simply because there was more industry and the north didn't have to thrive on Agriculture The Labor field also endured consequences of the war. After the states were readmitted to the union the Freedmen's Bureau was created to aid and protect the newly freed blacks. One of the things the Freedmen's bureau did was provide former slaves jobs. With the jobs being provided in the south it had a positive and negative effect. The Positive effect was that it got the cotton industry going again because slaves could now work for "pay" on plantations. The negative effect was that the Freedmen's Bureau did not only get blacks jobs on plantations but they got jobs elsewhere. With a good amount of the south's population now working not just on plantations it took the jobs away from the whites.

Explain how militant white opposition gradually undermined the Republican attempt to empower Southern African Americans

They had laws restricting blacks the right to vote, one such law was the grandfather clause. If your grandfather was considered a slave then you did not have the right to vote. There was also a convict system in which white corporations or just rich whites would hire current convicts (mainly blacks) to work for them for no pay and horrible hours.them for no pay and horrible hours. Of course there was attacks by the KKK and other ex confederate organizations that kept the blacks in constant fear and convinced them to not speak out.

Describe how the dramatic American victory in the Mexican war led to the breathtaking territorial acquisition of the whole southwest

Treaty of Guadalupe(on Feb 2nd 1848. America had Texas and had the huge area from Oregon to California 6 states. It took up about half of Mexico for 15 million dollars, and claim its citizens as americans 15 mill dollars 3 mill for damage

what is meant by the term republican motherhood

Women as shapers of future citizens

the dutch colony of new netherland finally became the english colony new york as a result of

a battle between english and dutch forces in new amsterdam

which of these did not result from the great awakening

a heightened sense of sectional and regional differences developed

which of the following best describes shays rebellion

a protest by debt-ridden farmers who were losing their land to foreclosures

Henry Clay embraced a program in 1824 called the American System which would create all of the following except

a solid navy to protect american merchant ships

a major economic consequence pf the transportation and marketing revoutions was

a steady improvement in average wages and standards of living

Slaves fought the system of slavery in all of the following ways except by

conducting periodic succesful slave rebellions

Settlement of the French colonies in New France grew very slowly until 1750 for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that

consumer demand for new france´s main export, beaver skins, had dropped off considerably.

What effect did the Battle of Bull Run have on North and South?

for the south, victory would bore them with over confidence for the war. for the north, it showed they need to buckle down, for the war wasn't going to be a one punch victory.

all of the following happened after president john tylers veto of a bill to establish a new bank of the united states except

he sent legislation to congress for the creation of a national bank

civil disobedience an essay that later influenced both mahatma gandhi and martin luther king jr was written by transcendentalists

henry david throeau

A supposed asset for the South at the beginning of the Civil War that never materialized to its real advantage was

intervention of britain and france

Battle of Saratoga proved vitally important to the patriot cause because

it encouraged france to provide much-needed millitary aid

What makes the Virginia Company charter such a significant document in American history?

it guaranteed jamestown colonists citezenship rights equal to those of europeans

the union victory at vicksburg was of major importance for all of the following reasons except

it was the last major battle of the civil war

in the case of commonwealth v. hunt the supreme court of massacusetts ruled that

labor unions were not illegal conspiracies

bacons rebellion was triggered by

land shortages and Indian policies

the second great awakening partly reshaped american religion by making it

more sympathetic to hierarchial churches like catholicism

As the Civil War began, the South seemed to have the advantage of

more talented millitary leaders

which of these protests against the stamp act was most effective in ultimately securing its repeal

nonimportation agreements

the ethnic diversity of the eighteenth- century american colonies is significant because it

paved the way for a new, multicultural american identity

the situation in kansas in the mid- 1850s indicated the impracticallity of ___ in the territories

popular sovreignty

the battle of antitem was particularily critical because it

probably prevented intervention by britain and france on behalf of the confederacy

the middle colonies- new york, new jersey, new deleware, and pennslyvania- all had which of the following traits in common

rich, fertile soil that enabled the region to produce and export vast quantities of grain

the spanish empire in america imported old world culture and ideas by doing all of the following ideas except

shunning and isolating native americans

Stephen A. Douglas argued in his Freeport Doctrine during the Lincoln-Douglas debates that

slavery would stay down if the people voted it down no matter what the supreme court said

in general ___ tended to bind the west and south together while ___ and ___ connected the west and east

steamboats, canals, railroads

andrew jacksons democratic political philoshophy was based on his

suspicion of the federal government

The cement that held the Whig party together in its formative days was

the desire for a strong president

the civil war resulted in all of the following except

the end of protective tariffs and isolationism.

Opposition by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to the financial plan of Alexander Hamilton resulted in

the formation of permanent political parties

the pierce administrations secret scheme to gain control of cuba was stopped when

the secret ostend manifesto was leaked to the public.

all of the following were results of the 1850 fugitive slave act except

the underground railroad scaled back its efforts

Even as they engaged in battles in 1775 and 1776, Americans continued to resist total independence from Britain for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that

they needed british protection from other potentialy invading nations

during the civil war diplomacy for the union and the confederacy

was critical for both

Despite early resistance, the main reason free public education ultimately triumphed was

wealthy americans realized that without an education, children could grow up to be dangerous, ignorant rabble armed with the vote

Describe how the end of Reconstruction led to the loss of black rights and the imposition of the Jim Crow system of segregation in the South.

By passing the COmpromise of 1877 and removing federal troops from the south, white southerners reasserted their power over the freed blacks. Most blacks were forced to become sharecroppers. Where they farmed land that they didn't own and when harvest season came had to give most of their profit to the land owner. The fees were so high that the black workers would never get out of debt. Now "free" workers were working under the same conditions and the same families they had been slaves for before the Civil War. In order to further segregate the states enacted the Jim Crow laws. Southern states also performed literacy tests, registration laws, and poll taxes to prevent the black population from voting. The Supreme Court gave their approval to the segregation in 1896 during Plessy v. Ferguson. The Supreme Court declared "separate but equal." If one did not follow the laws placed before them they would be punished by the law or worse, the would be lynched by white civilians. The worst year was 1892, when a total of 230 people were lynched. Reconstruction ended before reconstruction could be completed because of that black americans would be tortured because of their race for years to come.

Indicate how the disputed Hayes-Tilden election of 1876 led to the Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction.

Due to the corruption of his administration, Grant was no longer considered for the election of 1876. Instead, the Republican party nominated Rutherford B. Hayes, governor of Ohio. Hayes running mate was Democrat nominee Samuel J. Tilden. What made the election so controversial was that the two nominees were in a deadlock for 185 votes needed to win. Both parties sent representatives to southern states of Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida. However, each state sent back two sets of returns, one democratic and one republican. The decision was then handed over to Congress where the deadlock would be broken by the electoral committee. As it would seem, members of the commission finalized a deal with both parties. Republican Hayes would be president while under the condition that he removed all federal troops from the south, South Carolina and Louisiana. Democrats were also assured a spot on the presidential patronage trough and support for a bill subsidizing the Texas and Pacific Railroad's construction of a southern transcontinental line. With the signing of the Compromise of 1877 and the removal of federal troops from the south Reconstruction was officially over. Republicans quickly abandoned racial equality in the south leaving freed black americans to fend for themselves.

Explain the intense political partisanship of the Gilded age, despite the parties' lack of ideological difference and poor quality of political leadership.

During the Gilded Age the two primary political parties were the Republicans and Democrats.Though the leading parties had changed several times and new parties emerged. Most of the parties agreed on similar ideologies, only differing in small reform movements. The Republican party relied strongly on good morals. The party itself was supported by the North and West. In contrast, Democrats got their support from the South, by Lutherans and Catholics. The two parties still continued to clash due to their ideals and morals. In the 1870's the Republican Party split into the Stalwarts, led by Roscoe Conkling, and the Half-Breeds, led by James G. Blaine. Due to the challenges of the two parties to communicate and work together, the needs of the classes were often ignored. As a result many new parties were introduced to fend for the everyday citizen. One of which was the Liberal Republicans, the party was developed as a result to the corruption within the Grant administration. The Greenback Labor Party was started in 1878 with the purpose to support cheap money, or the backing with silver. The Populist Party also emerges from the Farmers Alliance. The party supported the idea of inflation through cheap money.

Explain the significance of Antietam and the Northern turn to a total war against slavery

Had McClellan succeeded in taking Richmond and the war had ended in mid-1862, the Union would probably have been restored with minimal disruption to slavery. The total war strategy was developed. 6 parts: 1. Blockade southern coasts. 2. Liberate the slaves to hurt Southern economic foundations 3. Control the Mississippi River to cut the Confederacy in half 4. Send troops through GA and Carolinas 5. Capture the capital at Richmond 6. Engage the South's main strength and grind it into submission Scarcity of Southern goods because of blockades drove prices skyward. The battle was a draw which strengthened the Union and discouraged France and Britain from entering the war on the side of the Confederates.

Explain the rise of class conflict between business and labor in the 1970s and the growing hostility to immigrants, especially the Chinese.

The Panic of 73' caused tension within the classes. in 1877, the four largest railroads got together and cut employee wages by 10%. In retaliation the workers went on strike. President Hayes was forced to call in federal troops to ease the unrest of the striking workers. Unfortunately the strike failed, exposing the weakness of the labor movement at the time. Ethnic clashes was also a problem. The largest was that of the Chinese and Irish. Clashes started when Chinese competed for low-paying jobs. In the minds of the Irish, the Chinese were stealing what is theirs. In 1880, 75,000 Asian newcomers were reported by California. The Chinese immigrants were mostly poor, uneducated, single males. They frequently got jobs building railroads. But after the railroads were built many left and returned back home to China. Many others stayed and struggled for odd jobs. Irishman Denis Kearney from San Francisco fired up his followers to abuse the Chinese. It was said that the "rice-eater" had no chance against the "beef-eater" in a life and death struggle for jobs. In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. The act prohibited further immigration from China. The act would finally be lifted in 1943. Many attempted to strip Chinese Americans of their citizenship. The Supreme Court ruled in U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark that the 14th amendment guaranteed citizenship to all persons born in the United States.

Explain why the radical Republicans impeached Johnson but failed to convict him

The Radical Republicans wanted to impeach Tennessee-native President Andrew Johnson because they perceived him to be a Southern sympathizer who wanted to allow the Southern states that had seceded back into the Union immediately and almost unconditionally. They saw Johnson as a threat to their Reconstruction plans. The conflict over Reconstruction was the underlying reason for Johnson's impeachment; the stated reason for impeachment was that he violated the 1867 Tenure of Office Act by (attempting to) fire Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, among other things. In February 1868, the US House of Representatives voted to bring eleven articles of impeachment against Johnson. He was later acquitted at his senate trial

Define the major problems facing the South and the nation after the Civil War

The biggest problem for both sides was that there was a huge population of freed slaves and no good ideas on how to integrate them into society, since they were often unskilled and illiterate. The Freedmen's Bureau was set up as a sort of welfare agency to help them. The original idea was that a few freemen could be helped and integrated into society and they would turn around and help other freedmen. This failed because they were not enough jobs in the north for the freed slaves and so they stopped trying. The South had been completely and totally destroyed during the Civil War and had to face the daunting task of rebuilding. Their age-old socioeconomic structure had collapsed along with slavery, something the white southerners were particularly bitter about. They managed to find a way to legally reinstate slavery under a new name through sharecropping and Jim Crow laws and the Ku Klux Klan developed to prevent free blacks from voting. The Reconstruction failed to help freedmen gain footing in the nation, and in some ways, set the stage for the civil rights movement that was to come in the sixties.

Explain why the battles of Gettysburg in the East and Vicksburg in the West decisively turned the tide toward Union victory and Confederate defeat.

The disaster at Gettysburg proved to be the turning point. -The Union's victory strengthened the Republicans politically and ensured once again that the British would not recognize the Confederacy - For the remainder of the war, Lee's forces remained on the defensive. -On May 19, 1863, Grant launched an all-out assault on Vicksburg, and the Union victory cut the Confederacy in two.

3. analyze the differences between the presidential and the congressional approaches to Reconstruction.

the presidential was kinder and ready to forgive and forget and patch the wrongs. only 10% of states population needed to take oath of allegiance to be readmited. The congressional approach was much harsher. 50% had to take the oath and safeguards for emancipation were stricter. they kind of wanted the rebels to pay for what they did.